Sun Ting paused, glancing back at An Bai. She was astonished to see how frail An Bai had become in just a few days—worse off than even herself. Though they weren't close acquaintances, Sun Ting knew An Bai used to be a well-known livestreamer who earned far more than she did.
"Hey there, sweetie, why are you gawking at us like that? Hurry up and go home," Tang Ze waved his hand with a chuckle.
"Do you have any food left?" An Bai finally blurted out. If there were other options, she wouldn't want to die; who would? It was all out of desperation.
Sun Ting stood up and walked over to An Bai, her delicate fingers brushing against An Bai's dry skin and brittle hair. "Of course we have food. Are you hungry?"
"Yes." An Bai nodded eagerly, envious of Sun Ting's current state. She herself used to look much better than Sun Ting.
When Sun Ting picked up the half-empty water bottle from the stairs, An Bai's face lit up with joy. In critical moments, women could always count on each other.
"Thank you, thank you!" An Bai reached for the bottle, but Sun Ting stepped back.
Tang Ze couldn't help but snicker. Things were getting interesting as Sun Ting teased her.
Confused, An Bai watched as Sun Ting unscrewed the cap and poured some water onto the ground.
"Well, you drink it like this," Sun Ting demonstrated by letting droplets fall onto the floor.
As the droplets hit the ground, An Bai bit her dry lips softly and followed Sun Ting's example. Slurping sounds echoed through the stairwell.
Tang Ze never expected that a once proud girl would lower herself to this extent.
Sun Ting continued to ascend the stairs while sprinkling water along the way. An Bai followed closely behind, drinking until they reached the apartment.
Once inside and the door closed, An Bai snapped back to reality and immediately smelled something delicious, a scent reminiscent of the last century.
It was KFC!
Upon seeing the bucket of KFC on the coffee table, An Bai's eyes widened in shock. How could this be?
She realized Tang Ze, being a delivery guy, must have stolen it. No wonder the streamer was willing to stay with him.
"Can I?" Sun Ting asked Tang Ze, eager to play along but wary of making him unhappy.
Tang Ze smiled and nodded. Let's see what tricks you can pull.
With Tang Ze's permission, Sun Ting felt more at ease. She picked up a chicken leg bone and tossed it in front of An Bai.
An Bai stared at the greasy chicken leg bone, her trembling arms resisting the urge to grab it. But hunger overpowered dignity, and her thin fingers slowly approached.
In the end, hunger won over pride.
The sound of chewing mingled with An Bai's tears. She never imagined she would one day kneel on the ground eating bones. Why was she so useless?
"I heard your boyfriend is selling you off?" Tang Ze pulled out a cigarette, and Sun Ting quickly offered a light.
An Bai's body trembled. She turned her head slightly and said, "He… he didn't."
"You probably don't know, but in our building, there's a men's group chat. Yesterday, you were auctioned off in there. The price was quite high—one bottle of water for half an hour, four reservations already."
Tang Ze's words struck An Bai deep inside, leaving her without the strength to support herself. "No, it's not true. He only told me to accompany Dong Fei."
"Dong Fei is just your first client. Take a look." Tang Ze held his phone in front of An Bai. She picked it up and saw shocking content—there were even sexy pictures of herself, with Ning Gu introducing her qualities.
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. It felt like the sky had collapsed around her.
Tang Ze put away his phone and flicked the ash. To his surprise, Sun Ting caught the ash with both hands, which made Tang Ze exclaim, "Six six six."
"Why don't you join us? You'll have food and drinks every day." Sun Ting sat beside An Bai, stroking her cheek. Her voice invaded An Bai's mind like a devil's whisper.
"This way, you'll get three meals a day, enjoy all kinds of delicacies from around the world, wash away the dirt from your body, and survive in this chaotic era."
Tang Ze suddenly realized that having Sun Ting recruit others might be a great idea. She was certainly a promising talent.
"It's up to you. Do you want to stay here or choose to be someone's plaything?" Sun Ting patted An Bai's shoulder. "I can only help you this far. You're a smart woman; you know what's more important."
Falling into those people's hands means a brutal death. Falling into Tang Ze's hands might mean a slower demise, but at least you'll be fed and watered. Will those people feed you and give you water?
Silly girl, don't be naive. They will only give you a little food to make you dependent and then control you.
An Bai wasn't foolish, so she whispered, "I choose to stay."
"Louder!" Sun Ting smirked, trampling on An Bai's last shred of dignity.
An Bai clenched her teeth and shouted, "I choose to stay!"
Tang Ze was ready to pay Sun Ting a salary. This kind of talent needed to be kept around.
"As a reward." Tang Ze threw all the bones in front of An Bai, who showed no resistance and greedily stuffed them into her mouth.